A Single Drop of Purity
by Spiritua Masquerade
Summary: A single drop of purity. That's all it takes for even the darkest of hearts to regret their sins. That single drop, combined with a drop of fortitude, could be the only thing able to save a world doomed from the start.[Kralette][collab: Holyknightsteve]
1. Painful Departures

**Spiritua Masquerade:** Hi! Yeah, me again. :P Time for another crazy collab from Spiritua Masquerade, and my much more talented collab buddy...

**Holyknightsteve:** Such flattery! I'm all red in the face! Anyhoo, some of y'all may know me, some not. in any case, just as my friend Spiritua here said, it's time for what we're sure will be a fantastic collab. Please bear with me everybody. Spiritua here has to deal with a fella that's never done one of these before.

**Spiritua:** And Steve here has to deal with someone who's done far too many to be good for my mental health. :P Anyways, like he said, this is gonna be fantastic. Don't cringe when I say this, but it's Kratos x Colette. To a whole new, non-crack, realistic, ass-kicking level!

**Holyknightsteve:** Oh yes! Ain't no joke here folks. We hope that none of y'all are turned off by KratosXColette. Rather, we hope that you will receive it with open arms as we try to make a seemingly impossible pairing work. Naturally, Spiritua will be playing the part of Colette while I take over as Kratos.

**Spiritua:** Though it would be interesting for Steve to be Colette... -strokes chin in sinister fashion- I'm just messin' with ya, Steve, don't worry. :D In case you've never read a collab, let me explain that we alternate chapters, I write all odd chapters from the point of view of Colette and he writes the even-numbered ones as Kratos. Though you probably knew that by now, hmm? Anyways... Anything else you want to add, Steve?

**Holyknightsteve:** Not much else other than I join with Spiritua in saying that I hope y'all enjoy this fic as we'll be putting a lot of work (and sanity) into it. Everyone please give Spiritua a round of applause as she starts things off for us::cheers::

**DISCLAIMER:** We own the plot, and our own original characters, nothing else.

**Warnings: **Um... Crack pairing made un-crack, if that counts. Really, there's nothing overly Mature about this fic... o.O

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Chapter One

It was the loneliest moment of my life, kneeling there on my knees in the center of Welgaia's eerily empty stone-like plaza, watching Aselia, my _home_, fade slowly into the distance above me. The view was dizzying, looking straight up at the ground, like I was sitting on the ceiling looking down... But that was the least of my problems. I watched my entire life fade up 'till then fade away above me, growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

With a jolt of homesickness, I realized I could make out the tip of the continent where Iselia rested. Squinting my eyes, I thought I could make out a faint blur of something interrupting the flat plains of the rest of the continent. _Iselia_.

"Goodbye, everyone. Genis, Sheena, Raine... Zelos, Presea, Regal... Goodbye... _Lloyd_." I choked out the last word, almost unable to speak the name of the boy, no, the _man_ I'd left behind.

I thought I could make out a shimmer of red, shooting up into the sky. My eyes widened, and I strained my angelic vision farther still, but whatever it was had vanished. Red... _Lloyd_. Was that his goodbye? I leapt to my feet, murmuring under my breath an incantation I knew by heart.

"_Angel Feathers!_" I called, my voice unsteady, and threw my hand into the air. The familiar shimmer of mana flew straight out, straight at the beautiful blue and green world above me. I hope he saw that. More than I've ever hoped anything before, I hope he saw that.

I left the combined worlds just after they'd been combined, within a week actually, just after we named the Yggdrasill Tree and called the worlds Aselia, after the village from which the hero, Lloyd Irving, came. Though I'd known I was to leave with Derris-Kharlan ever since it's departure was decided, I didn't tell anyone, not even Lloyd. I wanted them all to be happy, and they wouldn't be happy if they knew I was going to leave. I remembered clearly, and still do, my last hour in Aselia...

_-----_

"_Colette?" Lloyd's voice came from behind me as I stood on the hill beside the Tower of Salvation, overlooking a vast portion of Aselia. I hastily wiped away my tears, pasting on a grin and turning to face the swordsman. _

"_Hello, Lloyd." I chirped, though my voice threatened to waver, which would give away my sadness. _

"_What are you doing all the way up here? Kratos is about to leave, and then we've gotta head back to Iselia to get started on our exsphere journey." _

_I bit my lip, unable to fight back the tears springing to my eyes. _

"_Lloyd, I..." I choked, unable to finish. His eyes widened._

"_Colette, what's wrong?" Lloyd asked, his eyes and voice full of concern. He stepped toward me, but I backed away, tripping on a rock and tumbling to land on my rear. He crouched down in front of me. "Why are you crying?"_

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you, but I couldn't tell you, I couldn't make you unhappy..." My words exploded frantically from my mouth, and I'd be surprised if he could even understand them. But, being Lloyd and my lifelong best friend, he understood me far better than I'd have wished. Too bad he was oblivious to what I intended to do. If he'd realized it then, I wouldn't have had to go through the pain of telling him._

"_You dork, don't be sorry. Nothing could bring me down right now! We saved Sylvarant and Tethe-... I mean, Aselia, and soon I'll be on a new adventure with my bestest friend." He grinned, but for the first time in as long as I could remember, I couldn't really grin back._

_But why did he have to go and say 'bestest friend'? That would only make things harder..._

"_Lloyd..." I sobbed, and his grin slowly faded._

"_Colette, tell me what's wrong. I'll help, or try to at least." _

"_I... Lloyd, I'm leaving with Kratos and Derris-Kharlan." Those words were a stab to my chest... And by the look on his face, they were a stab to Lloyd's as well. I couldn't look into his eyes, into the shock and hurt which resided inside them. _

"_N-no! You can't leave! We were s'posed to go on a journey... together..." His voice faded into a whimper, and I couldn't help it, I dissolved into a fit of apologies once again._

"_I'm sorry, Lloyd, I'm really sorry..." My voice was growing slightly desperate, as this is the worst I've ever seen Lloyd since the first time I met him. I added a weak, "I'm sorry..." But it did nothing to ease the pain in his eyes or the despair in my heart._

"_Colette..." That's all the boy could manage, but his tone said more than any words could. _

"_Lloyd, the poor people, they're still haunted by dreams and memories of Cruxis, of the Desians... I see how they look at me. When I go to Luin, Palmacosta, Ozette... They herd their children away from me, and anywhere else but Iselia, they flinch when they see my wings, even though I'm their Chosen. I may be the Chosen of Sylvarant, but I'm an angel before that, and... I've come to understand that no good can come of an angel in Aselia." I explained, my voice steadier than it had been through the whole conversation. He shook his head violently, as if driving away the logic that he knew I'd spoken._

"_No! They just need some time, that's all. They'll be fine. Please, Colette, don't just leave..."_

_I shook my head sadly. "No, Lloyd. They need a world free of Judgment's rays and angels wings. Only then can the people truly recover. If I stay, I will bring up painful memories in every human, elf, or even half-elf who sees me, memories of loved ones being tortured and dying at the hands of the men with wings. Lloyd, I have to go. Please, _please _don't make this any harder for me."_

_He gazed into my eyes for what seemed like an hour, but I gazed back that whole time, forcing myself to bear the pain I knew I was inflicting upon him. After that eternity, he nodded, as steadily as he could manage._

"_I'll come with you!" He offered, with a shaky grin. Once again, I shook my head sadly._

"_You're the Eternal Swordsman. You're bound to this planet, no matter what. But... Lloyd, you need people, the outdoors, adventure. You'd be miserable on Derris-Kharlan." I declined, as much as it broke my heart to do so._

"_But Colette, I need _you_. You're my bestest friend." _

"_We'll still be best friends, right? Even if I leave?" My voice was hopeful, as childish a request as I knew that was. He nodded._

"_You'll always be my best friend, no matter what. No matter how far we are apart. You should know that, you dork." The brunette grinned slightly, and I giggled weakly._

"_Yeah, I just had to make sure for myself. I'm sorry." _

"_Don't be sorry. Quit being sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for, you never have. You're per-"_

"_Chosen One, are you ready? We must leave now, or Derris-Kharlan will be too far away for the warp-gate to reach." Kratos's voice sounded from behind us, deep and commanding, cutting off whatever Lloyd was about to say. I rose to my feet, dusting myself off briefly before offering a steady nod of acquiescence. _

"_I'll meet you down there, Kratos." I agreed, and he nodded solemnly._

"_Make it quick, Yuan is awaiting us, and we're walking the edge as it is." He stated, and I nodded once more. He then turned to Lloyd, his eyes full of sadness I'd never before witnessed in those of the solemn seraph. Nodding once, in an acceptance to his fate as much as a farewell, he softly intoned, "Take care of yourself, Lloyd."_

_Though I didn't see his reaction, for my back was toward him while I faced his father, I heard from behind me, "You too,, Kratos... Dad..."_

_As the seraph turned and walked back toward the tower, I turned to face Lloyd once more. Unable to think of anything to say, I stepped forward and enfolded him in as tight a hug as I could manage. For the first time ever, he matched my strength in his return hug. It's a shame he only just got his angel powers, right before I left. We never even got to fly together; I didn't know it then, but that was something I'd regret for the rest of my life._

"_I'll miss you, Lloyd..."_

_He stepped back, wiping the tears off my face and somehow managing to grin._

"_Nah, you won't have _time _to miss me. You'll be too busy on your cool outer-space adventures!" I could tell his optimism was forced, but I appreciated it nonetheless._

"_Say goodbye to Genis for me. And the Professor. And Sheena, and Zelos. Ooh, and say goodbye to Presea, and to Regal too."_

"_Of course. Too bad they weren't here to say goodbye." We stood in silence, both of our gazes on our feet, for nearly a minute. Then I looked up, and sensing my gaze, he looked up as well. We both knew I had to leave._

"_Goodbye, Lloyd." I whimpered, stepping a step back away from him, toward the tower._

"_Goodbye, Colette."_

_I couldn't stand it anymore, the pain in his eyes and dripping from his voice. With a gasp of my own pain, I turned, and I ran for the tower steps. _

_For the first time in my life, I didn't trip, not once._

_Kratos was waiting for me._

"_Are you ready, Chosen?" He asked, his gaze fixed on mine. The fact that he was unfazed by the departure, or at least appeared to be, soothed me somewhat. I glanced back at the door once more, half hoping Lloyd would be there, half hoping he wouldn't. He wasn't, to my dismay and relief. I took a deep, preparatory breath, and nodded._

"_I'm ready, Kratos." He nodded, satisfied._

"_Step into this light after I disappear. Don't tarry, we're cutting it close and every second counts."_

_I nodded, and he stepped into the light. Within thirty seconds, his body had disappeared completely from sight. I stared at the rising circle of mana in wonder a moment, apprehensive, before recalling our need for haste and all but tripping in my hurry to get into the circle._

_Righting myself, I stood facing the door, a pleasant yet slightly itchy tingling feeling creeping up my legs. I tried not to fidget, even as it crept up my torso and down my arms. _

_About twenty seconds into the warping process, a figure appeared in the door._

_Lloyd._

"_Lloyd!" I called out in surprise, and he ran toward me._

"_Colette, wait! I have something to tell you!" He cried in desperation, making a mad dash up down the long walkway to the warp gate. _

_But it was too late. I felt my body begin to slip from the Tower, and when I looked down, I could see straight through me._

"_Lloyd, I'm sorry!" I called out hopelessly, an apology for leaving him now, as well as everything I've done to inconvenience him in our lives._

"_Colette, wait! I l-"_

_And then there was nothing._

_-----_

That had been nearly an hour ago, yet only a few minutes had I been sitting there on the angel-crafted stone. The warping process took far longer than I'd thought, and by the time I found myself, slightly disoriented, in a room in Welgaia, broke free of Kratos's restraint, and raced up to the crossroads of the forsaken city of Angels, my home was already distant.

I snapped out of my reminiscences when I heard footsteps sound behind me. Rising hastily to my feet, I whirled to face the one who approached, half knowing already who it was.

Kratos.

I looked to the ground, unable to meet his gaze, recalling ever-so-clearly how I had somewhat violently forced my way past him to get to where I stood then. I was ashamed of my actions, when Kratos had been at least _somewhat_ kind to me, but... I'd had to be there. Had to see it for myself, that we really, truly were leaving.

He stood there, silent as the abandoned city around us, and I could feel his gaze upon me. For what seemed like forever, we stood like that, before I finally met his gaze with my own. His eyes held a mix of disapproval in my actions, which made me feel even worse, their usual cold indifference, and... what was that? That strange, shimmer in his eyes? Was it... compassion? No, that's impossible. Kratos never showed compassion, that's what made him the best warrior of our party. But that's the only word I could use to describe what was in his eyes right then.

"Come, we must locate Yuan." He stated, and I nodded in obedience, taking a step toward him. But then I hesitated, gazing back up at my home, as small as it was growing. "Chosen... There's nothing more for you out here."

"I... I'm sorry, Kratos..." I murmured repentantly, and he nodded, turning and walking back toward the main building. Glancing longingly at my distant home far above me, I murmured softly, "_Oh goddess Martel, in whatever form you exist now, please, grant Lloyd serenity. Please, I don't want him to worry about me, or to hurt that I left. Please, make him forget about me. As much as it hurts to pray this, I want him to forget about me, and be happy. Please._" And with one last look, I followed him.

Though I walked through the empty, unwelcoming halls of Welgaia, my mind was thousands, maybe millions of miles away. Home. Sitting and talking with Lloyd, having a snowball fight with Genis, learning with Raine, having midnight sleepovers with Sheena, chatting with Presea, laughing with Zelos, reasoning with Regal, and many more memories flashing through my head. As if just to torment me further, my racing thoughts froze on a portrait of Lloyd, as he was the last moment I saw him, desperate and hurt.

I choked on a lump rising in my throat, and at that exact moment my foot caught on something, the description of which I paid too little attention to to describe, and I fell flat on my face. That being only an expression, of course, but it came pretty close to being literal that time, my arms holding me up only long enough to slow my fall before collapsing. And I just lay there, attempting to breathe past that rising lump, until I heard Kratos's footsteps stop.

"Chosen, are you alright?" He asked, though his voice spared me the minimum concern. Despite my thoughts, despite everything, I pushed my chest up off the ground, looking up at him and offering what I hoped was a bright smile.

"Yes, Kratos, I'm fine, thanks!" I chirped somewhat enthusiastically, hopping to my feet despite the leaden feeling in my body, and when he turned and continued down the hall, I followed.

He eventually stopped at a doorway, a bit larger and more foreboding than the rest. Pressing his palm to the door, it slid open with a mechanical scraping sound. I followed him into the room, where Yuan sat, facing away from us, his eyes locked on the many control screens and his fingers flying at impossible speeds across the many interfaces.

"Yuan, we've arrived," Kratos announced, though I'm pretty sure that was obvious by then. In spite of his frantic keying moments before, the half-elf spun his chair to face us, his stress-hardened features relaxing in relief.

"Thank the goddess, I was sure you'd come too late and missed it. Or even worse, the planet got too far out of reach just as you were being warped, splicing you between the worlds. Or something even shittier, but I can't exactly think of what could be worse than being cut in half by the warp points of two planets," he pondered to himself, and I flinched, imagining how horrible such a fate would be. I wonder, what if my top half was in Derris Kharlan? Would I have to walk on my hands? Or would it even split me that way? Maybe the left side of me is here? Or maybe my body is here but my soul is there? No matter how I look at it, I'm sure glad it didn't happen.

Oh no. What if Lloyd had tried to follow? Was he spliced between the two worlds? No, we would have known if he was. Besides, his Eternal Sword wouldn't let him warp here anyways. I heaved a sigh of relief, drawing the two seraph's gazes upon me. Shuffling awkwardly, I tried to meet their gazes, but I had to look away. They made me feel so... young. Kratos always had, I guess, and I hadn't talked to Yuan enough to really gaze into his eyes.

"We're safely away from Aselia now," Yuan started slowly, apparently sensing something was wrong. I forced myself to smile and nod, but he seemed unconvinced. "From here on out we're heading to destination: unknown. I mean, I've still gotta steer and stuff, but... the hard part is behind us. Disconnecting two planets that have been connected for so long."

Kratos nodded, turning to me. "Colette, just because we're away from the rest of the human race,"—At Yuan's warning look, he added "and half-elven race"—"doesn't mean we can just vegetate. You'll still continue your studies, as well as hone your battle skills."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"But the Professor is still in Aselia!" I exclaimed in surprise, and Kratos shook his head.

"No, Colette, you will not likely see your Professor again. But I will continue to teach you. If you'll pardon my bluntness, I have a much wider variety of expertise than Raine Sage." He stated. After a moment of deciding whether or not to defend my teacher, I merely nodded. After all, it's not good to pick an argument with one of the only two beings besides yourself on a forsaken purple planet. Or a forsaken blue planet, or a forsaken red one, or a-... That was random. The point is, I stayed silent and agreed.

"When do we start?" I asked tentatively, and he looked to the clock.

"This evening. Meet me in the Welgaia Library at ten. Until then, I have things to attend to." With that, he turned and strode from the room. And I knew, somehow, deep in my heart, that this would begin the biggest adventure of my life.

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**Spiritua:** Sorry this took so long, I've been absolutely swamped with schoolwork. I hope you like it, too. PLEASE Read and Review. If you're a fellow ff writer, you know how much it means to an author. 


	2. Mixed Emotions

A/N: Holyknightsteve here! My turn now! As you may already know, I will be playing the part of Kratos. It's been a while since I've written anything, so I hope this doesn't suck TOO horrendously. Anyway, enjoy!

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**_Chapter 2_**

What have I done?

What was I thinking when I agreed to let _her_ come along? I understand her intentions, but is it worth being separated from those she cares for? Her family? Her friends? Lloyd?

Of course, I can't say that I have any room to talk. I suppose I must first look into my own motives before analyzing those of others. So why am I here? The answer is simple. After what I've done to Lloyd, his friends, and everyone else on Aselia, I don't deserve to stay with them. Not yet in any case. Despite what I had done to him, Lloyd insisted on my staying with him so we could start our lives over again as father and son.

I can't Lloyd. I have much to learn and many sins to atone for before I can return.

But Colette… why? You had your whole life ahead of you on Aselia, not to mention an entire world of people that needed your strength. Do you really think that the people of Aselia would be appalled by your presence after all you have done for them? Why would she think-… of course. Martel.

It's all too similar, isn't it? Martel, despite her role in saving the world, was persecuted and murdered simply because she was a half-elf. Her contributions meant little to those with such petty views of the world. She may not be a half-elf, but perhaps Colette being one of the few remaining angels in a world of humans, elves, half-elves, and dwarves is cause enough for concern. Is she concerned for herself? Most likely not. If she is anything like Martel, she is likely more concerned with the thoughts and feelings of the people than for her own safety.

Such an unselfish person. She's just like Martel. It's almost as if…

"Kratos?"

My eyes opened and I turned to the source of the voice. "Yuan."

He was leaning against the left edge of the doorway, shaking his head with his eyes closed. "How long were you planning on just standing there?"

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "A few minutes I suppose."

"I see."

"Kratos?"

"Yes?"

He opened his eyes. "You're thinking about Colette aren't you?"

I nodded. "Of course."

"Having second thoughts?"

I nodded again. "Wouldn't you?"

He paused and thought for a moment. "It's hard to say. Tell me Kratos, why DID you decide on bringing her with us?"

Thinking only briefly, I said, "It's what she wanted."

Yuan scoffed, obviously unimpressed with my answer. "Children want many things Kratos. They don't always get what they want nor should they."

A child? Colette was no mere child and I was intent on letting Yuan know as much. "You call her a child Yuan, yet how many children have accomplished what she has?"

His eyes narrowed on me. "What are you getting at Kratos?"

"I'm saying that you shouldn't compare Colette to other children. Already in the eyes of many, she is being compared to Martel." Immediately after saying this, I knew I shouldn't have. I held my breath as I awaited his response.

He scoffed at my remark. "You've got to be kidding me. There is no way that klutzy girl can ever be compared with Martel."

"You don't think so?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"Tch," he grunted as he shifted from leaning against the doorway to standing straight up. Walking toward me, he said, "You never did answer my question Kratos. There must be some other reason you decided to bring her along."

I paused. "Why does it matter? She can't go home now. Not for at least-"

"Because I'm curious," he said, interrupting me.

Yuan… you never could leave things be, could you? "Very well. But as I tell you this, know that I had originally planned on coming here alone."

He nodded to me, satisfied that he was going to get what he wanted. "Understood Kratos. Now… tell me."

I sighed deeply and turned away from him. Was it really necessary for him to pry like this? I understand that, as a long–time comrade of mine, he deserves to know what's going on. However, I couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with explaining my intentions. Perhaps it was because I myself was unsure of what I was doing. These decisions were all made on a whim after all. Was I having doubts? Of course I was. However, there was nothing I could do now. Even if Colette wanted to return to her home, Derris-Kharlan was simply too far from Aselia now for the teleportal to work. At this point, it would take several years for the two planets to come close enough again for a successful teleportation…

This is pointless. There's no turning back now. What's done is done. If Colette is to understand what she feels is her new path in life, I will need Yuan's help. After all, I-

"Kratos."

Startled, I answered with a simple "Hmm?".

Yuan shook his head. "Quit dodging the question Kratos and answer me."

"…right." I took a deep breath and began to tell what I knew. "Colette is afraid for the people of Aselia."

"Afraid? Why?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"She's afraid of what her presence means to the people." I paused. "She's an angel. The people of Aselia have seen what destruction and strife the angels of Cruxis brought to the world."

A pause between us followed as Yuan began to walk around the room slowly. "So… she feels that her presence will... scare the people of Aselia? She's worried that they might mistake her for one of the angels she fought against?" He stopped in his tracks and turned to me. "She's afraid of being killed by the very people she saved? Hmph. Some Chosen."

For the first time in what seemed like ages, I was genuinely angry with my oldest friend. Even during our most recent trials and tribulations, I hadn't been truly angry with Yuan. "That has got to be one of the most petty statements I've ever heard you say."

He grunted. "Hmph. I take it you disagree?" He shook his head in disgust. "You think she's something fantastic, eh? Little angel girl leaves to save the world and finds out that it's not as nice a place as she was told. Finds out it's a mean, nasty place with people who hate others simply because they're a little different. You're trying to tell me that a sixteen-year-old is running away from home, not for her sake, but for the sake of everyone else?"

I nodded, still irritated. "You think it's impossible? How do you explain Martel then?"

Yuan pounded his fist once upon the wall closest to him. "Are you trying to compare Colette with Martel? Colette is _nothing_ compared to Martel!"

"You don't think so? The self-sacrificing nature? The kindness she exhibits toward everyone. Her wanting to save the world?"

"A farce! Nothing more!" he yelled back at me. "She's no angel! Remiel placed that Cruxis crystal upon her when she was born! She did what she did because it was "foretold". How many boos and jeers would she receive world-wide if she had gone against what the church had ordained? You think a teenage girl could handle that?"

Unable to resist the urge any longer, I too raised my voice. "She did it all because she genuinely cares!"

"She's not Martel!" he snapped back.

After his last statement, we both said nothing for quite a while. Martel was always a touchy subject between both of us. In Yuan's eyes, no one could ever hope to measure up to Martel's greatness and anything mentioned that felt like it might setting some sort of comparison between her and another person in question, in this case Colette, greatly upset Yuan. I never could understand it. Martel was a wonderful friend and was like a sister to me. To Yuan, she was a lover. For that, he is willing to go to any length to defend her name. Still… should such fanatical devotion last four-thousand years?

Perhaps I am the one who is missing something. Mithos was ready to "purify" the world of everyone but the half-elves and angels simply for the belief that it would some-how please his sister. Indeed, I did follow him for quite some time but… even then, I knew when it all had to stop. Martel wouldn't have wanted this. None of this. Even from Yuan, who does what he does simply because he still loves her after all this time. Sometimes I wonder if he can ever move on, at least so much that he can begin to respect other people who might seem even just a little bit like his beloved Martel.

"Colette is waiting for me in the library. I should get going." Without so much as waiting for a reply or any other sort of reaction, I walked to the doorway, stopped, and turned half-way toward Yuan once more. "Yuan. It's been four-thousand years since we lost Martel."

"Kratos, this is-"

"Colette is not Martel. There will never again be anyone like Martel. But…" I paused as the words came to me. "Others will come along that will be similar to her. Some will aspire to be like her. Others will become as such without even realizing it or perhaps without even wanting it." I turned away from him. "It's going to happen eventually Yuan. There's nothing you can do about it. Is it truly such a bad thing if Colette is similar to Martel?"

"Similar?" he half-asked, half-stated. "You really believe in this girl, don't you? This… false Chosen?"

I nodded without looking back. "I do."

"And Martel… do you think she can be as great as Martel was?"

"Greater," I answered as I left.

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"Greater?" I repeated to myself as I walked to empty corridors to the library. Was it possible? I suppose anything is, but I still find it hard to believe that I said Colette could become even greater than Martel. Colette feels has no desire to do as such, seemingly fueling the fire of those who would speak ill of her being compared to Martel. Then again, Martel never held any desire to be great. She just wanted to help the world she had come to love. Is that not that same as what Colette is doing?

The library. She's already in there, perusing the numerous titles lining the walls. She wants to learn. She wants to better herself. Eager to make Aselia, her home, a better place. And yet, she looks scared, afraid of what's to come. Far from home and her loved ones, she knows not what to make of everything. She's already questioning what she's doing. Maybe she will question what she has done for the next few weeks, months, maybe even years. I can only hope that she can adjust to life on Welgaia.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the side of the doorway to let my presence be known. "Colette."

Startled, she dropped the book she was holding and turned to me. "Kratos!"

"I apologize for startling you." I walked to one of the many shelves filled with ancient texts, glancing down at the dropped book. Colette was usually clumsy, this I knew, but didn't she seem a bit jumpier than usual? "Is something bothering you?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "N-no sir, I'm okay. Just… getting adjusted to everything."

I nodded in return. "It will take time, but I will do what I can to make your stay more comfortable. Another thing, you don't have to call me sir."

She blinked. "What should I call you then? Professor? Master? Sen… what was it that Sheena called it… Sensei?"

I shook my head this time. "Kratos will do. You may be my student, but on all other levels, we are equals. Understood?"

She nodded again. "Yes, Kratos."

"Then please have a seat, Colette." She did as she was told as I reached for the book she dropped, "_The History of Aselia_" the title read. Satisfied with this as a proper starting point for her education, I flipped through a few pages, set the book down on the table and looked up at Colette. "Colette, this will be the first step of a long, spiritual journey for you. Are you ready?"

"Yes Kratos," she answered with sincerity.

I nodded. "Then let us begin."

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Took me long enough, didn't it? I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Anyway, please leave a review. Spiritua's (Colette's) chapter is up next! Be sure to tune in!


	3. Triumphs and Failures

**Spiritua Masquerade:** I'm so so so so so so so so so sorry it took so incredibly long. I hope this chapter makes up for it!

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Chapter Three

"Colette, this will be the first step of a long, spiritual journey for you. Are you ready?"

"Yes Kratos," I answered with sincerity.

He nodded. "Then let us begin."

I resisted the urge to scoot closer as he flipped through the pages, to lean his way so I could see the book as well. Instead, I sat straight up in my seat, in the readiest posture I could muster, my gaze on Kratos and burning with curiosity. Yet he didn't cease the page-flipping. Rather, his eyebrows began to furrow, and he flipped more fiercely than ever.

"Kratos?" I hesitantly prompted, but he continued flipping through the pages. Only for a second more, however, before he shut the book heavily with a sigh of distaste.

"It appears," he began, flipping the book to scrutinize the cover, "that Mithos wormed a few of his own books in here."

"Is that... bad?"

"It depends. Do you want me teaching you from a book where every word is a lie, created to exalt and worship Mithos the Hero?" He demanded, and I hastily shook my head. "Besides, it only starts with the Balacruf Dynasty anyways. Of _course_ it does, it was written by a human."

"Kratos, should I... go get another book? I think there was another history book in there somewhere," I smiled helpfully, but he shook his head.

"No. I shall teach you myself," he decided, rising to his feet and striding purposefully from the room. I watched him depart, eyes wide. _Does this mean the lesson's over?_ I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. Even though history was a kinda boring place to start, I wanted to learn new things. I always had, I remember. The Professor once told me that was what made me such an enjoyable student, was how much I wanted to learn.

All at once, I felt a tightening in my chest, like I was being sat on by someone really big. It became difficult to breathe, and as I struggled, I felt something wet slide down my cheek. And then another, and another. _Am I... crying? No, I _can't_ be crying! I have to be strong... _But the image of the Professor was so strong in my mind, smiling slightly with her eyes glowing with pride, and soon Genis was beside her, a mischievous grin on his face, a grin that usually meant he had some crazy idea that would probably get him in trouble, and Sheena and Zelos came up beside them, Zelos grinning and waggling his eyebrows, and Sheena cuffing him upside the head, laughing slightly. Presea joined them, her axe rested in the dirt, and Regal as well, but he had removed his shackles.

I knew who came next. I tried to look away, but it was impossible. The images were fixed into my mind, as was the one that was slowly fading into existence.

"I apologize for leaving, I-" The voice came from behind me, and I jumped in alarm, but didn't whirl to face my new teacher as I normally would have. Instead, I hastily and hopefully unnoticeably wiped at my cheeks, drying them as best I could. I could sense his surprise, and he took a hesitant step closer. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I replied cheerfully, my voice nearly cracking in the process.

"Well, you're shaking for one, and you jumped a mile when I spoke, even though you should have been able to hear me approaching for the prior half a minute," Kratos listed, and I shook my head, despite the fact that both, I realized, were true.

"Shaking? Good one, Mister Kratos! I'm not shaking," I grinned, accenting it with a giggle for good measure. I could feel him eyeing me in appraisal for a moment, and I did my best to still my shaking, before he strode around in front of me and sat down on the opposite side of the table. He had a bag in his hand now, made of black mesh, yet for some reason, I couldn't make out the contents.

He reached in the bag, and pulled out a small pouch. Carefully opening the top drawstring, Kratos poured the contents out on the table. My eyes widened in surprise and curiosity; it was _sand_! Yet this was some strange, weird sand. It was in a variety of colors, and it seemed to glow ever so slightly.

The seraph noticed my curious gaze, and he shook his head to silence me before I even started. After a moment, he began to speak.

"At first, the planet was empty of all but its innate source of Mana." He brought his hands to surround the small pile of sand, and for a moment, it glowed slightly brighter. This was the first sentence of my teaching, I realized, and at once I focused my attention on his words. "Then, the mana took it's own form, condensing into an incarnation. Thus is the birth of Origin." He flexed his fingers slightly, and the sand came together and soon bore the shape of the Summon Spirit he'd mentioned. My eyes widened, and I barely suppressed an 'oooh' of awe. "He, in turn, aided the birth of the other Summon Spirits, incarnating each of the other crude elements present in Mana." Flexing each finger individually, the sand separated by color, each color forming into a respective summon spirit. Red formed the shape of Efreet, yellow formed the shape of Volt, deep violet formed the shape of Shadow. Yet Origin still remained, his sand being uncolored but still glowing like the rest.

I looked up to him in wonder. "How do you do that?"

"Together, they created plants to inhabit the land, and watched it flourish," he continued, taking no notice of my words. With a sweep of his hand, the sand was gone, and from the bag, Kratos pulled a long, round object. Spreading it on the table, he revealed it to be a map... Yet not of anywhere _I_ recognized. It looked _old_, but not four thousand years old, and wasn't that when the planet was split? "They also created peaceful beasts to roam. Protozans were the most intelligent, and they ruled over the land for quite a while. They were fierce yet peaceful, as Origin had created them." He pulled from the bag a figurine. It was a fish that reminded me of those big ones in the Ymir Forest. But then, it changed shape! Now it was a bird, one with long legs and a long beak. Then, a large hoofed animal with horns growing from its head. Then, a dog, painfully familiar. _Noishe!_ Following that, an elflike figure. Was this a protozan?

"Kratos? What was that third shape?" I couldn't resist asking, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"That was a deer, didn't you know that?" He raised an eyebrow slightly as I shook my head helplessly. "Ah yes, I remember. They went extinct before you were born. My mistake."

In a new light, I gazed at the protozan until it once more turned to a deer. _Aww, it's kinda cute! Why did it have to go extinct? Why couldn't Desians have gone instinct instead?_

"The Summon Spirits soon realized the planet's mana was being chipped away at, and, though they still had a massive supply, they worried for the future. So the Great Tree was born," Kratos began speaking once more, pointedly ignoring my distraction. I quickly focused on him once more, and just in time to see a miniature tree sprout on the southern piece of land on the map. My eyes widened in surprise, reaching out slightly to touch it, but withdrawing immediately. "But, as do all trees, it was growing unbearably slow. When a massive violet mana-comet was nearing the planet, Origin and his fellow Summon Spirits attracted it to Aselia, intent on sapping a bit of it's mana to aid the Tree in growth. It worked, and within three days the tree had grown to a mile high and hundreds of feet thick, as rich with mana as anything could possibly be." And the tree grew into an adult tree before my very eyes.

I couldn't help but grin at this way of teaching, focusing on my new professor once more.

"But there was an unexpected side-effect: The comet, known as Derris-Kharlan, was inhabited. Elves crossed over onto Aselia, with the grassy, watery planet being at least a hundred times more suitable than their home planet, and made residence there." Kratos reached once more into his bag and pulled out a handful of objects. He transferred these into his left hand, reaching in for another handful for his right hand. Sliding the contents of his left hand onto map as one would roll dice, Kratos released a handful of miniature Protozans. To my amazement, each and every one ended upright. His right hand followed suit, and these were miniature elves, nearly twice as many as the protozans.

"Oooooh…" I murmured appreciatively, but he paid no mind.

"The Summon Spirits did not want these beings there, these beings who could and would disrupt the natural order of their very world, but they could do nothing about it that would not destroy the planet altogether. The Protozans, vaguely connected with the Summon Spirits and in tune to their desires and emotions, rebelled to the presence of elves, and a war was waged, long and bloody." And slowly, one by one, the figurines fell down. "Eleven years later, one for each catastrophic battle—and one battle for each Summon Spirit, the last being the Fall of Origin, though you don't need to know that quite yet—the war ended. There were less than a hundred elves left in existence, and a couple of dozen Protozans, whereas each race started in the thousands. For another eleven years, the very ground was stained red with blood, as a symbol of what had occurred." Only two protozan figurines remained standing, and about twelve elves did, and slowly the green on the map turned red. I let out a slight gasp of dismay.

"How _sad_..." I whispered, gazing down at the poor fallen figurines. From the corner of my eye, I saw him gazing at me with expressionless eyes, and I fleetingly wonder what he's thinking of me. _Does it make me weak, that I feel bad for the dead little plastic pieces? Does it make me any less worthy of training? Of being an angel? Of being Chosen?_ _I'll never be cold, I'll never be merciless, and I'll never be able to kill without tears in my eyes. Is it still my fault if I can't help how I feel? If I can't change how I am?_

"The Summon Spirits realized that the number of intelligent beings on the planet was less than two hundred, and, as angry and hurt as they were at all the bloodshed, they did not want life to cease altogether. So they birthed a race called humans. These humans were modeled in the shape of elves, but for some differences: Humans did not have as high a mana to blood ratio as elves, making spellcasting near impossible. They also lacked the innate grace and beauty of the elves, but for some exceptions. To make up for these things, they were created in the thousands. Eleven thousand, to be exact. These humans were scattered across the planet and furnished with all they needed to survive." Kratos cleared the map of all but the few standing figurines, then took two more handfuls of figures and effortlessly spread them onto the map in a similar fashion. These were quite obviously humans, and I couldn't resist: I picked one up and looked at it. It was etched in uncanny detail, down to a scar on the woman's left cheek.

"This one reminds me... of you, kinda," I slowly realized, holding her out for him to scrutinize as well. He did not take the figurine in his hand, however. I could tell these interruptions were starting to irritate him, and I ducked my head slightly and put the figure back on the map, exactly where I'd found her.

"She is one of my ancestors, thirty five generations back on my father's side." He said this as if it was common knowledge, or at least nothing special, but my eyes widened.

"So each of these figurines was a real human?" I demanded in surprise, and he nodded. "A real elf?" Another nod. "What about the protozans?"

"Accurate as well."

I reached out to pick up one of the figures cast to the side of the map, one that had died in the war. It was an elven boy, around my age. Slowly I took in his features, memorizing them down to the loose fit of his shoes. "So he died?"

"Yes, he did. If he hadn't, he would still be on the map."

"What was his name?"

Kratos eyed me in growing aggravation, quite obviously wishing to return to his teaching. But I didn't put down the figure this time. Instead, I gazed steadily back at him, my question still hanging in the air. After a moment, however, he sighed in defeat. "Arindor Shyst."

"Arindor Shyst..." I echoed idly, running my finger along the figurine's silhouette. He was so _young_... "How did he die?"

"On the ground, with his arms and legs spread out and his eyes closed."

I looked to Kratos in confusion, but could tell by the look in his eye that it was just his bit of dark humor. "How did he die?" I repeated stubbornly, and after a moment, a more suitable answer came.

"He was trying to save his sister, who was surrounded by the enemy. He was outnumbered vastly, and died when his throat was ripped out, his leg was ripped off, and his stomach was ripped open simultaneously."

I cringed, biting my lip in an attempt to keep my cool, since I knew for a fact that the moment I started getting worked up, Kratos would end the subject. Rather, I breathed deeply and gazed at the small figure of Arindor. Hesitating, I placed him on his feet on the battlefield... Yet he would not stand upright. Confused, I stood him up once more, to the same effect.

"He died. No amount of pity or willpower will get that figure to stand." I looked up to Kratos at his words, gazing at him steadily a moment, before reaching for another fallen figurine. This one was a protozan.

"What was his name?"

"_Her _name was Shul'gha," Kratos replied steadily. I snatched another, this one a larger, fiercer looking protozan.

"And this one?"

"T'urim."

I reached for another, but hesitated. After a moment, I tenderly picked up the small figurine of a little girl, ten years old at the very oldest. I brought her close, looking over her features with a wave of sorrow. "And this one?" I asked, softer than before.

"Odella Shyst," he replied, and for the first time, I could have sworn his voice had a hint of sadness. I gasped slightly, a hand covering my mouth.

"This is..."

"Indeed. This is the sister Arindor was fighting to protect."

"But... she's so _young_!" I protested in dismay, yet he shook his head.

"The battles were unlike any you've seen before, Chosen One. It was every being for itself, even as young as five years old... Those were dire times back then."

"...Kratos, how do you know all this? This was way before you were born, wasn't it?" I asked, gazing on him inquisitively despite the damp, chilly sorrow the topic had left in my bones.

"Four thousand years is an awfully long time to sit around and wait for the next Chosen. One would assume that I occupied myself _somehow_. And with a keen mind and four thousand years' time, one could discover far greater things than the casualties and outcomes of Aselia's first war," he replied casually, and I tilted my head slightly in confusion.

"Then why didn't you? Discover greater things, I mean."

"Being great isn't all it's cracked up to be. And besides, I was, like you are now, curious at these figures in such precise detail, curious at who they were and what lives they led. But, since we've wasted a good amount of time that should have been spent learning, it's time to return to the studies." I nodded, replacing the forms of Shul'gha, T'urim, and Odella back in the pile. I hesitated, gazing at the figurine of Arindor. A glance in the corner of my eye told me Kratos was glancing the other way, perhaps at the clock, so I made up my mind and tucked Arindor Shyst neatly into my pocket.

I gazed at Kratos expectantly, and soon he was returning my gaze. And then, with a deep breath, he began again.

"The elves, greatly outnumbered and quite dismayed at the presence of these new beings called 'humans', retreated to the shelter of the Ymir and Torent Forests, a location they had revered since they won the battle they called the Fall of Origin." He looked pointedly to the map, and, to my surprise, the figures of the elves were slowly inching their way toward one spot on the southern continent. Squinting, I spotted a darker green signifying forest. _Wow, the elven forests are that old? _I wondered in amazement, but Kratos was speaking again before I could continue to wonder.

"They made a village there, and filled their surrounding forests with monsters of all sorts, to protect them from intruders. Guards were posted at the gate so that any human intruders would be turned away to perish at the hands of the monsters."

By now, all the elves had reached the spot, and were packed tightly on the spot Kratos had mentioned. Quite obviously, the figures weren't to scale, but I was in constant wonder of them nonetheless.

"And so the humans flourished, multiplying and expanding and advancing in technology. These humans, as had the Protozans been, were connected to the Summon Spirits, and worshipped them as gods. Soon, a King arose, under the surname Balacruf, but to general conflict. Another man, the first king's younger brother, was equally fitting for the position, and those supporters of each battled, and blood was shed. In the end, the elder Balacruf proved victorious, and the supporters of the younger brother receded to a northeastern continent to become another kingdom in itself. The first kingdom adopted the name Tethe'alla, and the second adopted the name Sylvarant. This was what is now known as the Balacruf Dynasty."

As he retold the events from memory, the story unfolded on the map as well. When the younger Balacruf's men were said to recede, roughly half of the human figures did just that, inching over to the northeastern continent while the rest of them remained on the western one. Slowly, the names "Tethe'alla" and "Sylvarant" faded into existence on the map. It was all I could do to tear my eyes from the map to glance at Kratos, but he didn't seem to mind. At least, not as much as he minded all my questions.

"The king of Tethe'alla soon found himself a wife, and had a beautiful daughter. This daughter was a curious and adventurous soul, and at the age of thirteen she fled the castle in search of adventure. Had she not been so intelligent, she would have been caught at once, and history itself would have ended up different, yet she was a cunning and witty young girl, and she eluded guards for nearly two months, fleeing to the safety of the only continent that neither her home kingdom or her kingdom's enemies inhabited: The southern continent."

He continued his retelling, and a single figure split from the group, inching southward until she was about two inches to the right of the two elven forests.

"She had heard rumors of mystical beings called elves making their home there, but none who she knew had seen one, and so she took no heed. The daughter came upon a forest, and, though she knew danger lay inside, she ventured in anyways. After some wandering, she was thoroughly lost, and she paused to try and get her bearings... But suddenly, a horrible monster was upon her, it's fangs bared, ready to sink them into her throat. She let out a scream, but before the scream had even finished, the monster was flung from atop her, where it lay dead on the forest floor. She turned to her savior, and at once she knew he was not human. His hair was a stunning sky blue, and his eyes were silver. His ears were pointed, and he was perfectly proportioned to be muscular yet fair in unison. This boy was an elf, and a couple of years older than herself."

An elven figure split from the others, coming to meet the figure of the princess as she inched into the forest.

"He recognized her as a human, and knew that it was wrong of him to save her, since humans were hated by his kin, but he also knew that she was the most beautiful being he'd seen in his life. The two fell in love in secrecy, and the first half-elf was born."

"And then what happened?" I found myself prompting, interested in this tale of love and drama despite it's factual content.

"The princess was located and caught, but they knew nothing of her encounter with elves, nor her infant son's parentage. But one of the elven boy's kin had discovered his secret, and, in a bout of malevolence, set off to the kingdom of his beloved's enemy, Sylvarant. Leaving a note to the elder to incriminate the boy, now a man, beyond a doubt, to ensure that he was punished for his actions, he set off. Within hours of entering the kingdom of Sylvarant, he was captured, and taken to the King. The elf had expected this, what with his elven status, and planned on it. And so this elf spun the king a tale. He told the younger Balacruf that his brother had gotten her daughter pregnant at the hands of an elf, and that he intended to use the half-elven child of unimaginable magical strength to bring on the downfall of Sylvarant. The younger Balacruf was greatly disturbed, and at once, he called together his army and set off."

The figure of an elf had broken off from the group, inching hastily toward the green landmass labeled Sylvarant. He was joined by three humans, and they went with him to the main cluster of humans. After a moment, over half of the humans started inching their way toward the water, on the other side of which lay Tethe'alla.

"The man who sired the princess's son, as well as those who had supported him, were banished from the elven village of Heimdall, to find a life in the human world as the man had apparently desired. They did so, and more half-elves were conceived and born."

Five or six elves split off from the group, which for some reason looked bigger than the twelve it had started with, but I assumed it was just in my head. They slowly split up and paired up with human women. I glanced up to Kratos, still in awe of his map and it's workings. When my eyes glanced back down, however, small half-elven figurines had appeared, and were growing steadily until they appeared to be adults.

"And thus, when the younger Balacruf declared war, over a hundred half-elves fought alongside the men, on both sides of the battle. By now, the original elves had been killed or died of their own devices, but their half-elf offspring were a part of general life, at least somewhat. But humans have a tendency to fear the unknown, and so they feared these half-elves and the amazing powers they held. This fear gave birth to hatred, which gave birth to discrimination and racism against the half-elves, who had done nothing wrong. For four thousand years, the war waged incessantly, at varying degrees of intensity. As time went on, the humans forgot their bond with the Summon Spirits, and, as human memories tend to fade, they strayed from their promised peace and stained the land red once more. More and more of the world's mana was being used, wasted on bigger and better weapons and stronger warriors to better each side's chances for success."

The elf figurines that were paired with humans fell, one by one, while those representing half-elves made their way to the Tethe'allan border, where the humans were meeting and many were falling. More and more human figurines fell, yet the numbers didn't seem to diminish any. The two armies appeared to split up occasionally, come back together in a different location, and battle there for a while before splitting again and returning to the first location.

"As history is doomed to repeat itself, another elf found a human lost in the forest. This time, however, the elf was female and the human male. When she returned to her village, pleading failure of navigational skills as the reason she was gone so long, nobody knew that she carried the child of a human."

I was distracted from the macabre scene of the Kharlan War by a single human figure, inching about in the elven forests. A female elven figure went out to meet him, and after a moment, she returned to her village, meeting up with an elven male figurine.

"The woman was hasty to locate an elven man to court, so it appeared that, when a child was conceived, it would be his. And so she birthed a baby girl, and named it Martel. They lived a happy life, for around four years. Martel grew up as an exceptional girl, with a heart of gold and a way with nature unseen before. The village praised her, as fervently as to call her a gift from Origin himself."

I was careful not to look away this time, gazing at the map in wonder, insistent on watching the birth of the one who became the Goddess. I even went so far as not to breathe. Yet that was what ruined me, for at once there was a tickle in my nose, and before I could stop myself, I sneezed. When I jerked my eyes back to the map, there was a tiny girl that was quite obviously a younger Martel.

"One day, the elven woman who birthed this 'miracle child' wandered out into the forest once more to harvest some of the forest fruits... And someone came up behind her, a hand over her mouth. It was he, the human father of her first child. He had lived in the forest for seven years, living off of the Ymir Fruits with the birds and the fish as his company, waiting for another chance to see her. Swept up in passion, they conceived another child, but once more, the elf managed to cover it up in a similar fashion, with the 'father' of Martel as her tool of secrecy."

I knew I should be watching this scene unfold, but rather, my gaze was still transfixed on the young, innocent Martel. Even as a little girl, she was so _pretty_...

"And so a boy was born, Mithos. Martel took to him at once, and, though she was a mere four years old, she carried him everywhere with her, talking to him and trying to take care of him as he needed to be taken care of. And all went as smoothly as the elven mother could dream..."

I finally tore my gaze from Martel, to find a little boy, obviously Mithos. Both he and Martel grew at a rapid rate, until he was a little older than she had been.

"Until Mithos turned eight. At that point, Martel was twelve, and still considered a prodigy. But Mithos, on the other hand, was struggling. At first, he'd shown a rare display of magic at an early age, and the village had held high hopes that he would be like his sister, but then things took a turn for a worse. This boy of eight could use any magic his inexperienced tongue could pronounce, whereas the general age for developing one's powers was around Martel's age. He would often try and show off his magic, but lose control and cause trouble instead, often serious enough to call it 'destruction'. And, whereas Martel could pass for the elven man's child, Mithos looked nothing like his supposed 'father'. He didn't get along well with the other elven children, for his human blood gave him a stronger range of emotions and a lesser grasp on them. Yet she kept the charade in play for as long as she possibly could, fearing for not only her own life, but those of her children as well."

And the figure of Mithos wandered off on it's own. Though it was a figure, and could not appear sad or lonely, a pang of sympathy went out to the poor little half-elf, all alone and confused. I almost reached out to take his figurine in my hands as well, but resisted, since I knew he still had a part to play, and I didn't want to do anything that might accidentally mess up Kratos's amazing map.

"And then one day when Mithos was twelve and Martel was sixteen, the elven guards dragged a human into the village, saying they found him lurking in the forest. The elven mother was dismayed; this was the father of her children. The guards asked him what his purpose had been, and, being a human and clueless of the severity of the elven rules against association with humans, he said he was waiting once more for the woman he loved. The next day, he was executed, and his children were sent off to fend for themselves. The elven mother was kept in Heimdall, forced to remain there away from her children as punishment."

The figure of the human was accompanied by two elven figures into the village. It remained there for a moment, before falling over. The figures of Martel and Mithos left the village, and the mother remained at the gates.

"And so the story of Mithos the hero commenced. The two found a village outside of Heimdall, in a cave at the mouth of the Lathoean Gorge. It was more a small gathering than a village, consisting of a dozen or so half-elves dedicated to orienting Heimdall exiles to reality. Among their ranks was a man called Yuan, and when Martel and Mithos left the gathering, he joined them."

Had I not been distracted by my sympathy for Mithos and Martel, I would have noticed the group of half-elf figurines clustering nearby. Yet when Mithos and Martel went to them, I could pick out a familiar figure at once.

"Yuan!" I grinned in delight, leaning closer to examine the figurine. Yep, it was Yuan alright, but he looked far younger than he did now. _When Yuan was younger, he was kinda cute... _I resisted the urge to giggle, certain that Kratos would follow my train of thought and get mad at me for such thoughts. Or make fun of me, maybe. _At least it isn't _Yuan_ teaching me. That'd be pretty awkward, what with me thinking he was cute and all._

"They soon met up with a man called Kratos, whom they enlisted the aid of when he saved them from a band of thieves."

I thought it was kinda funny that Kratos was talking about himself in third person, but I'm not sure why. Before I could wonder at it though, my attention was attracted by the figurines of Yuan, Martel, Mithos, and another man, surrounded by a bunch of humans. But the humans appeared to be scattering... _Ooh, that must be Kratos!_ I look at his figurine closer as well, though more subtly than I looked at Yuan's. _Hey... He's actually smiling!_ I realized in surprise. Kratos Aurion was smiling. Well, the figurine was, at least, but that's close enough. _Y'know... He's kinda cute too, when he smiles._ Wait. No. Nononono. He was my _teacher_. I couldn't think that, even if I _was_ referring to the figurine of him, which was him four thousand years ago. Jeez, this is getting complicated.

"They went around trying to stop the war, at Martel's request, which was what Yuan and Kratos had been planning anyways. And then a group of humans ambushed them in the night, when they were camped at the base of the withering Great Tree. Before the group could react, the attackers had driven a spear through the heart of Martel."

I hadn't been prepared for this sudden turn of events, and I almost cried out as I watched the figure of Martel fall. I don't know why it affected me so much, but I felt a tear come to my eye. Maybe because I knew her so well, having had her in my body, however brief a time. Perhaps because she is the Goddess we all know, so to see her fall is horrible in that perspective. I don't know. All I know is, that tear slid down my cheek, and Kratos saw it. _After all my hard work, he still saw me cry today. And over something as small as a figurine falling over? He probably thinks I'm pathetic now. I mean, he actually knew her, he was friends with her, yet he talks about her without even a stumble in his words. I'm so _stupid_, ugh..._ I saw his gaze on me, mildly surprised, and I couldn't help but turn away, my gaze on my lap. He seemed conflicted on what to do, which, I vaguely noted, was the first time I'd ever seen him uncertain. But after a few moments of silence, he continued to tell the historical tale.

"Yuan, with whom she had been engaged to be married, was devastated, and in a single fit of rage, had slain them all. Mithos was equally devastated, and begged her not to die. She put on a brave face and told them to take her to the tree. They obeyed faithfully. With the last bit of her strength, she reached out a shaky hand to touch the tree. And in the arms of her brother and her true love, Martel died. The tree absorbed her soul, and soon, her body along with it. And Mithos knew then, he couldn't let the tree die, for his sister would truly die along with it."

The humans that had 'attacked' the group fell over, one by one. Soon after, the four figures inched over toward the great tree nearby. And in the time it took for me to blink, the Martel figure was gone. I felt a slight stab of pain, as if I'd lost a friend... But then I pushed it away. I refused to be weak over something so trivial.

"No longer was Mithos a child. He took charge at once, making the quests to the nooks and crannies of Aselia to make pacts with the ten main summon spirits, turning Kratos into the seal for Origin to ensure that the pact could not be taken away from him. Origin granted him an all-powerful sword, certain he would do good and end the war... Which he did. But he did it in the wrongest of ways. The half-elf separated the world into two worlds, one for each kingdom, leaving them connected only by the bonds of the Summon Spirits, and thus ending the war. He used the power of the Eternal Sword to degenerate the tree back into a seed, which hovered between the two worlds, held in place by the bonds of the Summon Spirits. And so the two worlds remained, doomed to exhaust their sources of mana eventually, all the while vying for what remained. He formed the angel organization Cruxis, with Yuan and Kratos as his fellow seraphim."

And suddenly, the map split down the middle. One half was a smaller image of Sylvarant, one was a smaller image of Tethe'alla, the ones that I grew up with and knew so well. The tree was gone too, just a small round dot of a seed in the center of the map where neither world lay. I gazed at it, my mind slightly comforted by the familiarity, yet my heart was pained by it at the same time. He seemed to sense my conflicting innards, because he rose to his feet and swept up the figurines, putting them back in their respective pouches and rolling up the map.

"Kratos? How does it work?" I asked him as he put the map back in the black mesh bag. He turned to me a moment, indecisive, before smirking ever so slightly.

"That would be telling, now wouldn't it?"

And without a backwards glance, he strode purposefully from the room. Since he left the bag where it was sitting, and wasn't off putting it away, I got the feeling I was supposed to follow. Hastily getting up, I jogged after him, turning the corner so sharp I had to grab the doorframe to steady myself.

"Get your chakram," he ordered over his shoulder, and I hesitated slightly, my hand reaching to where they were tied at my waist. But the strings were dangling loosely, and my weapon of choice was nowhere in sight! With a slight squeak of realization, I turned tail and dashed back into the library, at once spotting my chakram on the polished marble floor. Plucking them up and tying them loosely to the string once more, careful not to cut myself or anything, I turned and scrambled from the library once more. Had I any clue where Kratos was headed, I'd not be in such a hurry, but I knew he wouldn't wait for me, nor leave any clue where he was going. That's just how he is, I guess.

It was sheer luck that I made it back to the hall before he'd disappeared, and only barely, for he was just turning a corner as I emerged. Momentarily losing my footing, I hastily took off down the hallway after him._ How come he has to be so difficult?_

-----

I kept up a quick pace, jogging or even running most of the way, but for some reason, I couldn't seem to catch up. Which was kinda weird. But I was distracted from thinking about it within seconds, as I turned another corner and ran smack dab into Kratos's back. With a slight squeak of alarm, I went sprawling backward, landing on my butt. My teacher, however, seemed to be expecting this, as he didn't move an inch, even when the force of my body rammed him from behind.

"Occasionally, paying attention comes in handy." His voice was level, as if this were just another lesson and not a scolding, but I immediately ducked my head in apology, murmuring a hasty sorry in response and pulling myself to my feet.

We were standing in front of a door, an ordinary looking door. I stepped up beside him, tilting my head slightly in confusion, but he made no move to acknowledge me, stepping forward and punching a series of numbers into a keypad to the left of the door. It slid open obediently, and he stepped inside. I followed closely at his heels, and we found ourselves in a large dome, large enough for one of Rodyle's gigantic dragons to sleep in and still be comfy.

"Oooooh..." I breathed appreciatively, stepping in past Kratos and taking in the room with interest. My eyes darted from the walls, infused with their glowing runes, to the ceiling, high and wide above our heads, to the walls once more, trying to decipher the language in which they were written.

And all of a sudden, something hard struck me in the shoulder from behind.

"Ow!" I objected, whirling to face whatever had struck me with one hand on my offended shoulder and the other hand on my chakram defensively. But the only thing there was Kratos, his gaze on me expectantly. I glanced around hastily, trying to identify my attacker... and then my eyes settled on a long oiled stiff-leather sheath, one that a sword would generally be kept in.

My gaze shot up to Kratos accusingly, yet he seemed unaffected by my confused and disgruntled appearance. He glanced idly down at his sheath, before meeting my eyes again.

"Occasionally, paying attention comes in handy," he repeated, for the second time in the last three minutes, and I knew at once it was my fault that I was struck. Reaching down with the hand that was previously on my chakram, I plucked the sheath up off the ground and offered it back to him. The seraph accepted it, reattaching it to his belt and sliding his sword back inside it as I massaged my now bruised shoulder.

Kratos's eyes were rarely readable, but this time, I was certain his gaze was expectant. I slowed in my massaging, then stopped, watching him right back. After a few moments of silence, I demanded, "_what_?"

"So you're attacked from behind, you turn around ready to fight, but then you stop and give their weapon back to them, after they specifically just assaulted you with it?" He clarified slowly, as if it made no sense to him at all, though I knew the seraph understood it perfectly.

"What?" I blurted, my eyes widening. So this _wasn't_ just about paying attention? Then what in the name of Martel was going on!?

All of a sudden, there was a _whishhh_, and something distinctively silver and pointy was swinging deftly in my direction. I yelped in alarm, dropping to one knee and covering my head defensively as the sword swung over the top of my hair. Lifting my head, I gazed in bewilderment at Kratos, who stood mere feet away, his sword at ready.

"Surely you learn faster than this, Chosen. You wouldn't have survived three days on the journey if you were this dense on a regular basis. Now take out your chakram and fight me!" Kratos accented his last words with another swing of his sword, but this time, I was at least _somewhat_ ready. I leapt into the air, his sword a silver blur beneath me, all the while slipping my chakram from my belt and letting one fly.

I wasn't used to throwing when I was so _close_ to my opponent though, so it flew straight past his head without him even having to flinch away. I could see him readying to slice again—though I knew that if this were a real battle he'd have cut me to ribbons by now—and reached inside me to draw my wings. At once I felt a bit lighter, and I leapt up once more, thrusting my wings forward to propel me backwards away from him.

"Blame your fate!" I bellowed with authority, the phrase I've heard him use so many times when he was about to totally own the other guy... But it sounded so _funny_ coming from me, so I couldn't help it, I giggled. This gave him time to leap forwards, swinging his sword in a diagonal slash, which brought on an alarmed squeak as I raised my chakram to block it just in time. I quickly leapt backwards a few more steps, arcing one of my chakram at what would be his arm, but he deflected it lazily with the blunt side of his sword, sending it clattering to the ground.

"Come now, I've seen you do better with your eyes closed!" He called, and I could tell he was trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Disappointed in me, in my performance.

"But-..." I started, dodging backward another step. "I don't want to hurt you!"

And for the first time since we've arrived, maybe even the first time since I've met him, Kratos Aurion laughed... If that one short disbelieving laugh counts as a laugh. Which, on second thought, I don't think it does. It was more like a challenge, telling me to bring it on, give him all I've got. So I do.

A mischievous grin spreads on my face, and I send one of my chakram in a lazy sweep toward his shoulder. At once, I swung around to the other side, throwing the second chakram with my opposite hand with nearly double the speed and veracity, to come at his throat while the decoy brought his defenses to his opposite side. _There's no way he could escape this one!_

But, to my surprise, he caught the decoy easily with his hand, swinging it to deflect the second one and send it spinning off into some obscure corner. I checked my supply; six chakram left, then I'd have to risk my neck and claim the ones I've already thrown. But he wouldn't really hurt me... would he?

Ack! Too much thinking, it got me distracted again, and he'd come at me with a horizontal thrust aimed straight at my stomach. I jumped upwards once more, using his sword as a step to leap over his head, throwing a chakram at the back of his throat in the process. After a moment, my eyes widened in alarm. _He doesn't realize I threw it!_

I gasped as my weapon drew close, ready to shout his name in warning, but at the last possible moment he raised his sword, thrusting it down his back in one swift blocking movement. I leapt to my right, catching it as it glanced off his sword and, twirling with momentum, sent it down toward his opposite side. This one as well he deflected effortlessly. I retrieved it, flapping my wings to take me about ten feet into the air and breathing slightly heavily. He turned to face me, calm as ever.

How could this be _possible_? I mean, I know he's better than me, but I should at least get _one_ good blow in! And here I am, my forehead beading up with moisture and panting for breath, and he stood there and blocked every attack without breaking a sweat.

My eyes widened hopelessly as I watched him, standing there as calmly as can be, watching me in return, waiting. I met his gaze for a moment, and could almost _feel_ the dissatisfaction radiating from his body. Dissatisfied in _me_. _I bet he wishes he never brought me along..._ I realized dejectedly, at once more disappointed in me than he was.

"No," I refused firmly, though my voice was too quiet for him to hear, I think. "I won't give up. I won't."

And with that, I dove at Kratos with all my strength, like a bullet through the air. His eyes rounded for a moment, apparently sure that I'd given up, but then he raised his sword to accept the assault. At the very last moment I swerved to the side, throwing chakram one after the other in hopes that one would slip past his defense. Yet each one he blocked as simple as the ones before that. This only motivated me further, however.

"_Hyah_!" I cried, heaving another with all my strength in a speed-race toward his spine, then another one at the back of his head. He blocked them both, but I caught them and let them fly like they were too hot to touch. These as well glanced off his sword, but I refused to give up.

I don't know how long we battled like this... I could guess it was almost two hours, maybe. After that, it was mostly a blur of attacking and retrieving my chakram, with the occasional defense in there. But I know one thing for certain: I never hit him. Not a single lousy hit.

"Alright, that's enough," Kratos eventually called out, his voice somewhat soft. Not with fatigue or weakness, however, but with that disappointment I fought so hard to prevent.

I stopped, sinking at once to the ground many feet below, my breath coming in gasps and my arms and legs burning with effort. After almost a minute of recuperation, I glanced up at Kratos, assessing the damage... But after the first glance, I found it impossible to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Kratos..." I murmured despondently, my head hung. "I was trying my hardest, I really was..."

"That's what I was afraid of," he replied simply, his voice carefully level. A silence enfolded us, an air of obvious failure.

"So... are you gonna stop teaching me now?" I asked him hesitantly, my voice showing painfully clearly how horrible I thought that concept was. He seemed shocked at my words, however.

"Of course not. Your failure today just gives me all the more reason to teach you, at least in the area of combat."

My eyes widened in surprise, and then an unbidden grin spread slowly across my face. "So are you gonna teach me more tomorrow?"

"Not with weapons, this I can assure you. We'll be breaking down the components of a good fighter, and working them into perfection until you can draw my blood with your chakram."

"But I said I don't want to hurt you!" I objected, and he shook his head slightly, the hintings of a dry smile touching his lips.

"Even if it does hurt, which I highly doubt, such a trivial thing as one flesh wound is little price to pay to judge when you're ready to learn proper combat. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to. You know where your quarters are, I presume?" He changed the subject, and I nodded.

"Right between your room and Yuan's room, right?" I grinned, glad to have moved on to a more positive subject. He nodded in affirmation, or maybe goodbye, because with that he turned and strode purposefully from the room.

And I was left, standing alone in the premises of my unanimous failure. I supposed it wasn't a _bad_ room, but at the moment, I was slightly irritated with it for letting me do so horribly inside it's walls. I knew it was stupid to blame the room, it wasn't the room's fault. No, the blame lay solely on me, and I accepted that.

But I also knew that getting away from the scene would probably make me a _little_ happier. So I collected my chakram and set off for my room.

I was lucky. I only went the wrong way _three-fourths_ of the time, and found my way to the room I now lived in in a record time of ten minutes and fourty five seconds. Although it would have taken about two if I'd known the way, I was proud of myself for at least managing the feat.

I pressed the keys to open the door, a number I couldn't forget: 0717. The numbers for Lloyd's birthday. I don't know what possessed me to choose them, to doom myself to remember him every time I wanted to go in my room, but it was too late to change them now. I mean, Kratos probably could, but it would take a lot of awkward explaining to tell him _why_ I wanted the change.

The door slid open with a mechanic _whirr_ and I stepped inside, surveying my new room for the second time. My face fell slightly; it was just as cold and unwelcoming as the last time I was in there. Slowly, as the door closed behind me, I stepped into the room, across the fairly empty space to sit on my bed. It was hard. Not like sleeping on the ground, but much harder than my bed in Iselia.

_No, no thinking about Iselia!_

To forget the thoughts, I looked around the room, trying to find something that wasn't a pale shade of grey or brown. To my dismay, I couldn't find a single thing. Not even a flower vase, or a picture frame.

_Well, of_ course_ no flowers, there are none here. _

I felt a pang of loss in my chest, though I couldn't explain what for. Was it for the flowers? Did I hurt for the loss of the flowers? No... I realized, I hurt for the loss of _life_. The loss of plants, the loss of colors, the loss of new faces and places. Instead, I had oxygen generators, grey and brown, and Kratos and Yuan. I mean, don't get me wrong, Kratos and Yuan weren't a _bad_ thing. But... it's hard to explain. And around that time, I let out a huge yawn anyways.

I hadn't realized I was tired, but it turns out, I was. I don't know if it was the battle that did it all, or if it was partly just from everything happening all at once. The stress. I didn't really care, either, as I laid down on the bed. And when I closed my eyes, I could imagine a roomful of color, and this thought is what carried me off to sleep.

-----

"**_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _RED ALERT! _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_ RED ALERT!**"

I jolted awake, looking around me wildly to find whatever the commotion was. A red light in the corner was flashing urgently, and a loud beeping, I'm guessing the same beeping that woke me up, was shouting at me from out in the hall. I cringed; if it was this loud through the steel door, how loud would it be out there?

But I soon cleared my brain of all traces of sleep, coming quickly to my senses.

_A red alert!? What's going on!?_

These were my thoughts as I leapt upright, pushing the button to open the door and squeezing through it the moment the opening was large enough.

_I don't know where Kratos went, but I know that Yuan at least is in the Control Room!_ And with this bit of logic, I tore down the hall toward the Control Room, searching my brain for any clue to what Kratos had told me was the passcode, all the while protecting my ears with the palms of my hands. But it turned out that I didn't need to remember anything. The door was wide open when I arrived.

I leapt inside, frantically looking for the two seraphim. "Kratos, Yuan, what's going on!?" But they didn't answer, and when my gaze looked _down_ for a change, I knew why. There lay Kratos and Yuan, sprawled on the floor with their eyes closed. I didn't know if they'd passed out or been knocked unconscious, and I didn't think to find out, dropping to my knees between them and looking from one to the other with wide eyes.

I reached to Yuan, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him worriedly. "Yuan? Yuan, wake up!" I called for a moment, but the only response was his head lolling over the other direction. With that, I turned to Kratos. I hesitated a moment, a part of my brain refusing to let me touch him, after I'd disappointed him earlier, but I knew that made no sense, especially in the current state of emergency.

I reached out and shook Kratos like I had Yuan. "Kratos, _please_ wake up!" I cried, my voice shaking slightly with panic. "_Kratos_?!" But he didn't move.

I was alone, and it was a red alert emergency.

_Alright, breathe, Colette, breathe! Calm down. You can do this._

I closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, until I managed some semblance of calm amidst the shrill beeping and the red light flashing. Then I slowly, carefully stood and walked over to the computers.

At once, a flashing 'Error!' message caught my attention. "Error, the trajectory of flight coincides with the trajectory of a similar-sized comet. Collision expected in five minutes and ten seconds," she read from the screen, her voice growing more and more panicked with each word. _A comet!? We're going to hit a COMET!?_

_No, stop it! Don't be stupid! Breathe, keep breathing, calm down._

And so I closed my eyes and continued to breathe. When I next glanced at the screen, it read '4 minutes and 43 seconds'. But rather than panic, I somehow convinced myself that that was twice the time I needed.

I tried to recall what Yuan was doing when he was steering earlier today, what buttons he was pushing, but I couldn't even picture the scene. I glanced hopefully down at Yuan, but he still lay prone on the floor, so I looked back to the screen.

'4 minutes and 02 seconds'.

My gaze then swept the keyboard, looking for anything that could help.

"Menu," I read as I pushed the button labeled such. The countdown was pushed to the side, and a menu came up beside it. But... something was wrong.

It was all in the angelic language!

My breath quickening, I tried to remember what I'd been taught about the angelic language.

_Come on, Colette, this was so _easy_ for you before!_

And then, slowly, it started to come to me. '3 minutes and 28 seconds'.

_Data Files_, I read. _Screen Monitor, Surveillance_ something, _Control Panel._

"Control Panel, it _has_ to be!" I decide, glancing at the countdown. '2 minutes and 57 seconds'. I selected the button for Control Panel, and a map appeared. Derris-Kharlan was right in the center, and all around it was deep blue, representing empty space. I gasped; a large white object came onto the screen, slowly curving toward Derris-Kharlan.

"_No_!" I cried, thrusting the palm of my hand heavily at the white object in reflex, even though I knew it wouldn't help. Instead, I looked to the keyboard, looking for any sign of steering keys, but there were none, either that or they weren't labeled.

I felt my breath come quicker, scanning it once more, then looking around me frantically.

'1 minute and 23 seconds'.

_AHA! _My eyes came to rest on a lever nearly identical to the steering rod on a Rheiard. I laughed aloud, though it was more a nervous laugh than a happy one, and seized it like a lifeline. With all my weight, I heaved the rod forwards, and at once felt the planet lurch sickeningly. But to me, it was a good feeling, since I knew it meant we were safe.

I allowed myself to sink to the ground in relief, laying on my back with my eyes closed as I tried to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. A faint smile lingered on my lips, and I know for a fact that I couldn't have wiped if off if I'd tried.

"Excellent work, Chosen One. This may very well redeem you for your inefficiency in combat."

I jumped slightly, opening my eyes at the familiar voice. There stood Kratos, gazing at me with a glimmer of... _is that pride? Yes, I think it is!_ A glimmer of pride in his eyes. Sitting upright, I looked to him in speechless shock, then to Yuan, then back to Kratos.

"You were..."

"Awake the whole time," he confirmed, a mischievous glint making residence alongside the pride in his eyes.

"You let me think we were going to _die_!?" He simply nodded. My gaze shot back to the many screens. "Then what was-…?"

"Simply an animation. I programmed it just today, actually. There was no comet, we were safe the entire time," he assured me, and I wasn't certain whether to be angry at him for making me panic so badly, or in wonder of him for his skills. Instead, I glanced to Yuan, who was still lying with his eyes closed.

"Err... just prod him with your foot a few times, that should do it," Kratos instructed, and after a moment, he nodded a goodbye and departed from the room.

I looked down at Yuan, pretty sure that he really _was_ knocked out, and lifted my foot to prod him as instructed. But then, I dropped to my knees instead, shaking him gently with my hands, which in my mind constituted as a much nicer wake-up.

"Yuan? Yuan, wake up!" I called, shaking him just a bit harder. After a moment, he turned his head, moaning in discomfort.

"Kratos," he mumbled, and I could tell that if he were fully aware and functional, his voice would be much scarier than it was. "I'm gonna _kill_ you, you bastard..."

"Um, Yuan? It's me, Colette!" I replied, and I found myself grinning, though I didn't quite know what for.

"You..." Yuan groaned slightly, opening one eyelid. With the amount of discomfort he seemed to be in, paired with how slowly he was coming to his senses, I had the feeling that Kratos hadn't been any too kind when he knocked the bluenette out to begin with. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Well, Kratos told me to wake you up, so I did!" I chirped, hoping my good spirits might rub off on him.

"Kratos..." Now was the part where he started sounding scary. "Get me his location and something rusty to run him through with," he ordered, sitting up slightly and rubbing the back of his head. My eyes widened slightly at his demand, but after a moment, I decided against following it.

"I can get you to your room, is that good enough?" I replied hopefully. He fixed his blue eyes on me for a moment, searchingly, before he nodded in defeat. I grinned again, glad to be able to help out somehow, especially somehow that doesn't involve Kratos getting rust poisoning. "Okay, can you get up on one knee?" He nodded again, doing so, and I took one of his arms over my shoulder and put one of mine around his opposite one. In this manner we got up, walking carefully out the door.

"That bastard..." The half-elf grumbled, doing his best to support his own weight. I was silent for a while, until we were almost to the door of his room.

"What did he do to you?" I finally asked as he almost drunkenly pushed the code to open his room door, my eyes slightly wide. He must have done something horrible, to put a seraph like Yuan in this kind of state.

"Offered me a drink," was all he said, before I felt his body go limp. I staggered from the unexpected weight, but managed to half carry, half drag him in to lay on his bed. I stepped back, surveying the mess that once was our Captain.

From behind me, I could sense someone in the doorway. It was Kratos.

My teacher looked over his co-seraph as well, giving a short laugh of amusement. "He never _could_ hold his liquor..."

* * *

**Spiritua:** So so sorry for the extreme length, blame me being bored and writing a three point five thousand word History of Aselia. XD And sorry for the wait too. And sorry it's not that good. Dang, I really _am_ starting to sound like Colette. XD 


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